Commercial Real Estate Market in Chelsea, MA
Updated monthly: sale, lease, property records, location trend, and more… · Last update: August 31
59 active listings and 680 off-market properties in Chelsea, MA. Commercial property asks $341/SF to buy and $43.02/SF/Yr to lease.
Market Trends
Chelsea, MA spans 2.2 square miles in Suffolk County, Massachusetts. Figures below refresh monthly; last updated 31 August 2026.
Office
Office vacancy in Chelsea, MA runs 19.9% across the Northeast region in 2025, up from 13.1% in 2019.
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Retail
Retail vacancy in Chelsea, MA runs 6% across the Northeast region in 2025, little changed from 6% in 2019. Down from a 2020 peak of 7.1%.
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Industrial
Industrial vacancy in Chelsea, MA runs 7.6% across the Northeast region in 2025, up from 5.4% in 2019. Nearly 2.4x the 2021 low of 3.2%.
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Multifamily
Multifamily space in Chelsea, MA asks $453/SF to buy. Vacancy runs 5.6% across the Northeast region in 2025, up from 4% in 2022.
Average Sale Price $/SF
Listings
Vacancy Rate % in Northeast region
Zoning & Land Use
Land Use Mix share of zoned land by category
- Residential 46.9%
- Industrial 27.6%
- Commercial 10.8%
- Civic 9.9%
- Special 4.8%
Largest Zones share of zoned land by district
Single Family Residential
Multifamily Residential
Industrial
Port
Naval Hospital Residential
Chelsea, MA zones 1,585 acres across 16 districts. Commercial zoning covers 10.8% of zoned land, residential 46.9% and industrial 27.6%. The largest single district is Single Family Residential at 24.2%. For commercial buyers the practical constraint is that only 38.3% of land carries a commercial or industrial designation.
Single Family Residential (R-1)
The purpose of the R-1 district is to provide an area for residential and associated uses.
Market overview
Demographics & Economy
Chelsea, MA has 40,721 residents in 14,162 households. Density runs 18,391 people per square mile. Median household income here is $72,122 and median gross rent $1,861 a month.
40,721
Population
14,162
Households
2.9
Avg Household Size
34
Median Age
22%
College-Educated
69%
High-School Grad
2.2 sq mi
ZIP Area
18,391
Density / Sq Mi
$72,122
Median Household Income
$41,046
Median Earnings
$1,861
Median Rent
$476,500
Median Home Value
Tools
Nearby Markets
| Market | Average Sale Price, $/SF | Average Lease Price, $/SF/Yr |
|---|---|---|
| Everett | — | $36.82 |
| Revere | — | $59.07 |
| Malden | — | $35.26 |
| Winthrop | — | $23.02 |
Commercial property in Chelsea, MA asks $341/SF.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average price per square foot for commercial property in Chelsea?
Commercial property in Chelsea, MA asks an average of $341 per square foot. The 4 most recent recorded sales traded at a median of $793/SF. Multifamily carries the highest asking price at $453/SF.
How much does it cost to lease commercial space in Chelsea?
Asking lease rates in Chelsea, MA average $43.02 per square foot per year.
What zoning applies to commercial property in Chelsea?
Chelsea, MA zones 1,585 acres across 16 districts, of which 10.8% is commercial and 27.6% industrial. The largest single district is Single Family Residential at 24.2% of zoned land. The purpose of the R-1 district is to provide an area for residential and associated uses. Residential zoning covers 46.9% and open space 0%.
Where does Realmo's Chelsea market data come from?
Realmo compiles Chelsea, MA figures from 8 recent recorded sales, 28 active sale listings, 31 active lease listings, 680 tracked off-market properties, the current Chelsea zoning release. Sale and lease figures refresh monthly; vacancy annually. Last updated 31 August 2026.
Methodology & data sources
- Asking prices and averages
- Computed from 28 active for-sale and 31 active for-lease listings in Chelsea, MA. These are ASKING figures from live listings, not closed-transaction prices, and a segment carried by a handful of listings reads as indicative rather than an average.
- Vacancy rates
- Published per-sector market series, taken at the metro level where one exists and otherwise at the Census-region level — a chart reading "in <region> region" is a regional number, not this city's.
- Zoning and land use
- The current municipal zoning release: 1,585 zoned acres across 16 districts. Shares are of zoned land, so parcels the release leaves unclassified are excluded from the mix.
- Refresh
- The monthly aggregates close at the end of the previous month, so 31 August 2026 — not today — is the honest last update.
- Known limitations
- office vacancy is reported at Northeast region level, retail vacancy is reported at Northeast region level and industrial vacancy is reported at Northeast region level.
- Coverage
- Metrics below the 10-observation threshold fall back one geographic level. The geography used is named on each figure.
Compiled by the Realmo Data team · reviewed 31 August 2026 · report a data issue
